Horace

Went into this blind, just with a feeling it was gonna be a great game and yep, absolute cinema. Loved the writing, music, characters, humor, gameplay, and story! The use of piano and chiptune is such a unique pair and using it with classical music really does wonders.

It has been quite some time since I played this game but I still have so many fond memories. I rarely do have this for a platformer. The game combines amazing characters, a truly indie story with well though out platforming. I cannot recommend it enough.

A snooze fest of a game. Remember the time when you were stuck at the family Christmas dinner and you had to wait and listen to hours of rambling stories spoken slowly by your slightly tipsy uncle and you're praying for it to end. That's this game.

Once past the insanely long tutorial with its insanely long cutscene the game is incredible.

It was ok as a platformer, but the cut scenes were a slog. They weren't even bad cutscenes, I just didn't have the patience for them.

challenging game, its like playing castlevania or similar, dont play if you suffer motion sickness.

A challenging retro platformer that oozes character. Frustrating at times, but nothing insurmountable. The story, whilst fairly predictable, still delivers enough emotional hits with a dusting of British culture and humour over the top. However, the game is very bloated with minigames and detours. And if you want to 100% achieve you will either have to play through the game twice or use something like cheat engine.

Horace is an ambitious 2D platforming adventure that combines challenging movement, puzzle-solving, retro-inspired mini-games, and an unexpectedly substantial narrative. Developed by Paul Helman and Sean Scaplehorn and published by 505 Games, it uses a charming pixel-art appearance to tell a story considerably larger and more emotional than its presentation initially suggests. Rather than relying entirely on nostalgia, the game builds a distinctive identity around an innocent robot gradually learning about humanity, relationships, responsibility, and the strange world surrounding him. The story follows Horace as he develops from a simple machine with a limited understanding of life into a much more capable and emotionally aware character. Seeing events through his straightforward perspective gives the narrative much of its humor and personality. The adventure frequently shifts between comedy and surprisingly serious material, exploring friendship, family, separation, loss, and personal purpose. Numerous references to classic games, films, television, music, and British popular culture are woven throughout the experience. Some references are deliberately obvious, while others function as small rewards for players familiar with older entertainment. Platforming forms the mechanical foundation, but Horace gradually becomes more complicated than a conventional side-scrolling game. New abilities change how environments can be navigated, with gravity manipulation becoming especially important. Floors, walls, and ceilings can effectively become different paths through the same environment, forcing players to reconsider how they approach obstacles. This creates some clever platforming puzzles where understanding the geometry of a room is as important as having quick reflexes. Difficulty can become substantial. Hazard-filled rooms demand accurate jumps and careful timing, while more elaborate sections combine movement mechanics with enemies and environmental obstacles. Boss encounters add another layer of challenge and often require players to recognize patterns or understand a particular mechanic before victory becomes possible. Repeated failures can occasionally interrupt the pacing, especially for someone mainly interested in progressing through the story, but successfully completing a difficult sequence feels rewarding. Variety is one of the game's greatest strengths. Horace regularly introduces mini-games and sequences inspired by different periods of video game history. Instead of keeping every activity within one rigid platforming formula, the adventure experiments with arcade-style concepts and other familiar genres. These sections help maintain a sense of unpredictability throughout the lengthy campaign. Not every diversion is equally compelling, but the willingness to experiment gives the game considerably more personality than a safer and more conventional platformer might have achieved. Exploration also plays an important role. Progressively acquired abilities can change how Horace interacts with the environment, creating opportunities to investigate areas more thoroughly and pursue optional objectives. Collectibles and achievements provide additional reasons to explore beyond simply advancing the main narrative. With dozens of achievements and a campaign that can comfortably occupy many hours, this is a surprisingly substantial package for an indie platformer. The pixel-art presentation is another highlight. Characters remain expressive despite their deliberately old-fashioned appearance, while environments provide enough visual variety to support the adventure's changing moods. The game can move from cheerful and ridiculous scenes to darker or more emotional situations without completely losing its visual identity. Music and sound complement this tonal flexibility, helping comedic scenes feel playful while giving more serious moments additional emotional weight. Its greatest weakness is arguably the same quality responsible for much of its appeal: Horace tries to do an enormous number of things. Story sequences can be lengthy for players who primarily want platforming, while demanding gameplay sections may frustrate those who are mainly invested in the narrative. The constant references and tonal changes can occasionally make the experience feel crowded. The pacing is therefore less focused than that of a tightly designed pure platformer, but reducing those unusual elements would also remove much of what makes the game memorable. Steam Deck compatibility is a notable advantage. The game is officially Steam Deck Verified, with its core functionality working through the handheld's controls and its interface remaining usable on the smaller display. Controller prompts and general navigation are appropriately supported, while the game can run using settings suitable for the device. Its viewpoint and methodical pacing also translate naturally to portable play, although demanding visual settings can still make sensible performance adjustments worthwhile for players prioritizing battery life or consistent performance. Horace ultimately succeeds because it feels unusually personal and imaginative. Beneath the retro graphics is an adventure filled with demanding platforming, inventive gravity mechanics, mini-games, puzzles, humor, cultural references, and a surprisingly heartfelt story. Its abundance of ideas occasionally results in uneven pacing, yet there is an undeniable charm in how enthusiastically those ideas are presented. Players who appreciate challenging platformers and story-heavy indie games, particularly those with affection for gaming history, will find plenty to enjoy. Rating: 8/10